MPCs are widely used throughout the electronics industry to connect a relatively large number of electrical conductors. An MPC is generally formed of two connector portions. One portion of the MPC is a male portion having a plurality of projecting electrical pins aligned in a predetermined pattern, such as rows or concentric circles. The pins individually connect through a body of the connector portion to lead wires. The other or female portion of the MPC has sockets or receptacles located in corresponding positions to receive the pins of the male portion. The sockets also individually connect to lead wires through the body of the female connector portion. When the MPC portions are connected and the pins of the male portion are inserted into the corresponding sockets of the female portion, an electrical connection through the pins and sockets establishes continuous electrical conductivity between the lead wires attached to the MPC portions.
One of the common uses of MPCs is for the connection of circuit boards to other electronic equipment. In this situation components on the circuit board are connected to the lead wires of one portion of the MPC. The lead wires of the other portion of the MPC are connected to other electronic equipment. Electrical power is supplied to the circuit board and signals are conducted to or from the circuit board through the lead wires and the connected MPC portions. If a component on the circuit board or the entire circuit board fails, it is convenient to disconnect the MPC portions and replace the circuit board and MPC portion attached to the faulty circuit board, rather than disconnect each lead wire from the faulty circuit board and then reconnecting the lead wires to a new circuit board. The use of MPCs in this way results in efficient and convenient replacement of the failed electrical equipment. Traditionally, MPC portions have been separated and connected by hand. In separating or connecting the MPC, the user must grasp both portions of the MPC with his or her fingers and forcibly separate or connect the two MPC portions. Small MPC connector portions with a large number of small pins and small sockets are difficult to align when connecting and separating them by hand.
Failure to maintain proper alignment of the MPC portions when separating or connecting them can damage the pins, sockets or lead wires. Pins on the MPC can be bent or broken if the user mis-aligns, twists, or bends each MPC portion relative to the other when separating or connecting them. Misalignment occurs when any of the pins are offset in any direction from their intended sockets. If misalignment occurs, the pin or pins that are not matched with sockets bend over or break when the connector portions are forced together.
Twisting results from the user bending each portion of the MPC relative to the other during the separation or connection of the portions, usually to assist the separation of the MPC portions. Twisting occurs relatively easily, particularly with relatively small MPCs. Twisting can break or bend the pins, thereby damaging the male MPC portion. If the pins are bent during separation of the MPC portions, and then later the MPC portions are attempted to be connected, the bent pins are likely to mis-align and then break or bend over. Lead wire breakage can also occur during separation and connection. Often the user grasps the lead wires because the bodies of the MPC portions are small or difficult to manipulate. Fatigue stress from repeated tension and compression forces on the lead wires caused by manually gripping the lead wires while connecting and disconnecting the MPC frequently results in broken lead wires. Lead wire failure is difficult to detect because the insulation covering the lead wires obscures the break in the internal conductor.
Replacing a defective MPC portion is difficult because of the relatively large amount of labor involved. At times the labor cost of disconnecting the lead wires of the MPC from the circuit board is greater than simply replacing the circuit board entirely.
It is against this background that significant improvements and advancements have evolved in the field of separating and connecting MPCs.